The Miscellaneous Iwaku Storytelling Contest: November 2017

I thought about trying to enter this time around. But then I remembered that I put all my RP's on hiatus so that I could take time to catch up on real-life stuff, and it would be a real disservice to my players to start writing a MISC entry before getting back into my RP's.

Oh well. Maybe next time around.
 
Definitely joining up, as I do almost all the time now. Maybe this time I'll actually win?
 
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The following questions are posed in order to help determine the upper and lower bounds of what might be considered a holiday within the confines of this contest.
  • Does the holiday have to be time-bound, either to a calendar, seasons, or astrological phenomena?
    • Alternatives could include traditions built around patterned or non-patterned but rare occurrences and/or accomplishments. (reincarnation of Dalai Lama, herd migrations, pilgrimages)
  • Does the holiday have to be celebrated simultaneously by the whole of society?
    • Alternatives could include traditions held by the society as a whole, but performed at different times of year by different family units, or only by certain age-groups. (birthdays, coming-of-age ceremonies, Mother's Day)
  • Does the holiday have to be cultural?
    • Alternatives could include traditions built around government-imposed, recurring events. (Hunger Games, the Purge, an example that isn't a movie)
  • Does the holiday have to be infrequent?
    • Alternatives could include traditions built upon weekly days of rest. (Sunday Mass)
also do i ask too many questions i usually just bug @Jorick directly

Note that "depends how you go about it" or giving some other non-answer is a legitimate response that I will accept with dignity.
 
The following questions are posed in order to help determine the upper and lower bounds of what might be considered a holiday within the confines of this contest.
  • Does the holiday have to be time-bound, either to a calendar, seasons, or astrological phenomena?
    • Alternatives could include traditions built around patterned or non-patterned but rare occurrences and/or accomplishments. (reincarnation of Dalai Lama, herd migrations, pilgrimages)
  • Does the holiday have to be celebrated simultaneously by the whole of society?
    • Alternatives could include traditions held by the society as a whole, but performed at different times of year by different family units, or only by certain age-groups. (birthdays, coming-of-age ceremonies, Mother's Day)
  • Does the holiday have to be cultural?
    • Alternatives could include traditions built around government-imposed, recurring events. (Hunger Games, the Purge, an example that isn't a movie)
  • Does the holiday have to be infrequent?
    • Alternatives could include traditions built upon weekly days of rest. (Sunday Mass)
also do i ask too many questions i usually just bug @Jorick directly

Note that "depends how you go about it" or giving some other non-answer is a legitimate response that I will accept with dignity.

No, no, no, and... no! All the alternatives you've mentioned would be valid. :D

(also no :P)

The important parts of the prompt are that your tradition is a focal point and that it takes place on a day that has some kind of special significance attributed to it.

I think the only ones we'd disallow are any sort of anniversary or birthday because it only holds significance to those individuals (unless it's something like a coming-of-age ceremony, because that's got societal or cultural significance). But that's only my input, so if Kitti or Jorick feel otherwise we can revisit the topic.
 
Aw, man, re-reading the prompt and I'm sad I can't go with an idea I had last night - a tradition observed by a government agency when a director retires.

Luckily I've still got the first one to pop into my head.
 
Aw, man, re-reading the prompt and I'm sad I can't go with an idea I had last night - a tradition observed by a government agency when a director retires.

Luckily I've still got the first one to pop into my head.
I feel like that would still count, since the only reason birthdays and what not aren't allowed is because the event only has significance to one or a few people. But this tradition seems to continue past one specific director, so I think it can be put in the same category as a coming-of-age ceremony in terms of this MISC.
 
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Just to be clear; we CAN make up our own fantasy/sci-fi holidays, right? Also, does the tradition has to be wholesome? Or can it be secretly sinister?
 
Aw, man, re-reading the prompt and I'm sad I can't go with an idea I had last night - a tradition observed by a government agency when a director retires.

Luckily I've still got the first one to pop into my head.
I am going to say that Anafal's answer is similar to my own opinions.
Since it's more of an society (agency) celebrating an event tied to a significant occassion (rather than the birthday of one singular person) I think it counts. Astroth and Jorick can say differently if they think so but I think it's fine.
Just to be clear; we CAN make up our own fantasy/sci-fi holidays, right? Also, does the tradition has to be wholesome? Or can it be secretly sinister?
Yes. The shorthand for this is one of two paths:
New Holiday - Any Setting: A fictional holiday that you have created in any setting with a particular tradition being observed that does not include the traditions which have been disallowed (ex: family dinners, see first post for listing).

Existing Holiday: A holiday which currently (or has previously) exists(ed) in the real world. Tradition must be invented or so obscure that MISC judges will assume it's invented when they read it anyway (see first post for examples of traditions not allowed).

Tradition must play a role in the story important enough that its absence would make a notable impact on the story as a whole. Tradition cannot be a birthday, marriage anniversary, etc. (a holiday wherein the significance of the day is limited to only one or two individuals).

There is no wholesomeness stipulation.

I think that should be a summation of the questions I've seen.
 
I didn't wait until the last possible moment to turn mine in this time. I'm rather pleased with myself.
 
I wasn't going to do this, but now the story is almost finished.
 
I wasn't going to either and then I did
 
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I was going to, but then WaRP hijacked my idea ._.
 
cursed hijackers
 
I'm hoping to finish by tomorrow... >.>'
 
I was going to and then my brain escaped.
 
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I completely forgot this was a thing until now.. hehe... At least I still have 3ish days?
 
*begins to load the hype train*
 
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Oooh crap I'm not ready I'm not readyI'mnotready

*hyperventilates and speed writes*
 
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is it possible to write a misc entry in an hour
i guess it's a good time to find out